Health minister defends Danilo Medina’s observations to veto Penal Code

Santo Domingo.– Health minister Altagracia Guzman said Friday that with the observations made to the Penal Code, President Danilo Medina is saving the lives of Dominican women.

"With such observations, the President is protecting the lives of Dominican women," Guzman pointed out and referred to the exceptions made by the head of State in regards to pregnancy termination: when the woman’s life is in danger, when pregnancy results from rape or incest and when there are fetal malformations incompatible with life.

According to the official, these observations safeguard the rights of women to decide whether to continue a pregnancy due to rape or incest, and the possibility that a doctor can legally perform the procedure to preserve the life of a pregnant woman at risk.

Guzman said that social groups every day speak of the people’s rights, such as education, health, freedom of movement, freedom of choice. "But women also have the right to mental health, so they should be able to decide what to do with one of these situations," she said.